Cross-Hatch: Didjeridu and Percussion is the second CD collaboration between Alan Dargin and Michael Atherton, following their first release Bloodwood, an unedited, real-time performance aimed at articulating complex pa... more &raquotterns. Cross-Hatch: Didjeridu and Percussion pursues Dargin's and Atherton's interest in exploring the studio as a space for improvised duets and multi-instrumental pieces.Thematically, the landscape of Australia remains a source of inspiration, as well as the sounds of multicultural, urban Australian country which supports cultural diversity as a matter of government policy.It's not surprising that such a rich musical environment should influence the artists musical ideas. Pieces such as Afrodidj and Crossings have grown out of a passion for Afro-Caribbean musics. Other influences can be heard in Ketuk, an improvisation mixing didjeridu with Pejogedan gamelan instruments. Additional tracks such as Sunshower have been assisted by the high standard of instrument making in Australia. In this case, a hand-crafted guitar is combined with a rare didjeridu from Oenpelli, Arnhem land.Gingjunggang (Kununurra language, Western Australia), which completes the recording, takes its title from one of the many known words for didjeridu. A delicious treat for didj lovers, this is an continuous impromptu piece (nearly 16 minutes long) by Dargin, recorded without interruption, exploring different tempi and changes of texture, as if to reflect the daily life cycle of the bush.In addition, two tracks are reissued from the Bloodwood album (which is no longer available) including Storm Warning, an essay conjuring the vast and sometimes foreboding natural phenomena of tropical Australia, for some a frontier of paradoxical beauty, both delicate and jangling in its vastness.&laquo less

Synopsis

Album Description

Cross-Hatch: Didjeridu and Percussion is the second CD collaboration between Alan Dargin and Michael Atherton, following their first release Bloodwood, an unedited, real-time performance aimed at articulating complex patterns. Cross-Hatch: Didjeridu and Percussion pursues Dargin's and Atherton's interest in exploring the studio as a space for improvised duets and multi-instrumental pieces.Thematically, the landscape of Australia remains a source of inspiration, as well as the sounds of multicultural, urban Australian country which supports cultural diversity as a matter of government policy.It's not surprising that such a rich musical environment should influence the artists musical ideas. Pieces such as Afrodidj and Crossings have grown out of a passion for Afro-Caribbean musics. Other influences can be heard in Ketuk, an improvisation mixing didjeridu with Pejogedan gamelan instruments. Additional tracks such as Sunshower have been assisted by the high standard of instrument making in Australia. In this case, a hand-crafted guitar is combined with a rare didjeridu from Oenpelli, Arnhem land.Gingjunggang (Kununurra language, Western Australia), which completes the recording, takes its title from one of the many known words for didjeridu. A delicious treat for didj lovers, this is an continuous impromptu piece (nearly 16 minutes long) by Dargin, recorded without interruption, exploring different tempi and changes of texture, as if to reflect the daily life cycle of the bush.In addition, two tracks are reissued from the Bloodwood album (which is no longer available) including Storm Warning, an essay conjuring the vast and sometimes foreboding natural phenomena of tropical Australia, for some a frontier of paradoxical beauty, both delicate and jangling in its vastness.

CD Reviews

Mysterious and natural

08/09/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a novice in Australian music. To me, this CD has a very moody, mysterious quality. Most of the instrumentation, or perhaps all of it, is acoustic in sound. Although it's a completely different style, there is some similarity of feel to some of Ry Cooder's music, especially his Paris, Texas soundtrack. It has a similar solitary, mysterious, spacious sort of quality. To me, the didjeridu sound is very primordial sounding and has some similarity to the very low tones of Buddhist monk chants. I am new at listening to this instrument, but it's growing on me as a result of this CD. Michael Atherton's arrangements and other instruments are excellent compliments to the unique didjeridu sound."